Update: San Clemente, Sat. 3/30 – Happy Easter

Seems Caltrans District 11, San Diego County, is in violation of Section 888, California Streets and Highways Code.  888.

The department shall not construct a state highway as a freeway that will result in the severance or destruction of an existing major route for nonmotorized transportation traffic and light motorcycles, unless it provides a reasonable, safe, and convenient alternate route or such a route exists.

John Markey, District Permit Engineer, issued Ironman a permit to close the Old 101 bike trail, but he didn’t bother to tell anyone else in the office, and nobody told him that act is illegal.

Page 18 of Caltrans’ permission for Ironman to close the Hwy 101 bike trail in violation of Streets and Highways Code. Sec. 888.

Now District 11 should, under Sec. 888., open the freeway to non-motorized travel between Christianitos and Las Pulgas Road.

With a permit from Caltrans, San Clemente city staff fell into line closing nearly a mile of streets approaching Christianitos to all traffic.

Note the Marines didn’t close their own access to Christianitos. Clearly Ironman is not so important their access should be eliminated. It’s just San Clemente citizens and California bicyclists that don’t rate.

So Saturday scores, possibly hundreds,  of southbound cyclists will be stuck for 6 hours without access, most turning around north again.

Can we get a petition out and circulating on site, directed at San Clemente staff, protesting their denial of access to a state transportation facility?

BTW, the only possible way around is south off the San Clemente Beach (dirt) Trail, onto Metrolink ROW (not legal) or along the beach, and up the Trestles trail to Old 101. Once on 101 the only authorities would be SP Rangers and CHP, and the latter should at least understand the problem. Seth Cutter, Caltrans Bicycle Coordinator in Dist 11 said no one mentioned closing the course northbound at Oceanside, but local advoact Barry Wood reports such signs were posted at the Vandergiff base entrance.

But the freeway remains open between Las Pulgas and Oceanside. You could even access the shoulder at the View Point north of Pulgas…. northbound you might just find yourself on the course, who knows? And that would be a shame, wouldn’t it?